Use the FlyByWire A32NX MCDU on an iPad or Android tablet through SimBridge, with the correct URL and fixes for common connection errors.
To use the FlyByWire A32NX MCDU on a tablet, install and run SimBridge on the same PC as Microsoft Flight Simulator, load the A32NX, then open its Remote MCDU address in the tablet’s browser. Both devices must share a local network; the tablet URL uses the PC’s local IPv4 address.
What do I need for the A32NX Remote MCDU?
The Remote MCDU requires the FlyByWire A32NX and its SimBridge companion application on a Windows PC. It is browser-based, so an iPad, Android tablet or second computer needs no dedicated MCDU app.
- The FlyByWire A32NX must be loaded in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
- SimBridge must be installed, running and allowed through the Windows firewall.
- The PC and tablet must be connected to the same home network.
- The aircraft must have electrical power before the MCDU display will operate normally.
This is not the cockpit flyPad. The flyPad is the aircraft’s EFB for loading, performance calculations and settings; our guide to the A32NX flyPad and its functions explains that separate workflow.
How do I connect a tablet to the A32NX MCDU?
- Install SimBridge: use the FlyByWire Installer to install or update the SimBridge component. Run SimBridge before trying to connect the tablet.
- Load the correct aircraft: start Microsoft Flight Simulator and load the FlyByWire A32NX rather than the default Airbus. If the custom aircraft or its systems are missing, check that you have the correct FlyByWire A32NX package.
- Power the aircraft: in a cold-and-dark cockpit, connect external power or start the APU and establish the normal electrical supply. A black remote display can simply mean the MCDU itself is unpowered.
- Test SimBridge on the PC: open a browser on the simulator PC and enter
. This confirms that the local web interface is available. - Find the PC’s IPv4 address: open Windows Command Prompt, run
ipconfig, and note the IPv4 address for the Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter actually connected to your router. It will commonly begin with192.168or10.. - Open the address on the tablet: replace
localhostwith that IPv4 address. For example, if the PC is192.168.1.25, enterin the tablet browser. - Use the remote unit: turn the tablet to landscape if that fits better, disable browser zoom if buttons do not align, and operate the keys normally. Entries made remotely affect the same MCDU fitted in the cockpit.
Do not enter localhost on the tablet. On a remote device, that name refers to the tablet itself, not the simulator PC.
Why is the Remote MCDU not connecting?
Most connection failures come from SimBridge not running, the wrong local IP address or Windows blocking port 8380.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| The page will not open on either device | Start or update SimBridge, then confirm that |
| It works on the PC but not the tablet | Use the PC’s active local IPv4 address and permit SimBridge on private networks in Windows Firewall. |
| The devices share Wi-Fi but cannot connect | Leave guest Wi-Fi, disable VPNs temporarily and check whether the router isolates wireless clients from other devices. |
| The page opens but the display is black | Load the FlyByWire A32NX, supply aircraft electrical power and wait for its avionics to initialise. |
| The keys are cropped or misaligned | Reset browser zoom, rotate the tablet, reload the page or try the tablet’s standard browser rather than an embedded browser. |
If the PC’s address changes after restarting the router, update the URL saved on the tablet. A DHCP reservation in the router can keep that local address consistent, but it is optional. Do not expose or forward port 8380
Does the tablet MCDU import or programme the flight plan?
The tablet interface is a remote control for the aircraft’s existing MCDU, not a separate flight-planning system. Flight-plan imports, route edits, performance entries and lateral revisions work exactly as they do from the cockpit unit.
Once connected, follow our Airbus MCDU programming procedure for INIT data, route entry, departures, arrivals and performance pages. Any key pressed on the tablet should be reflected immediately in the cockpit MCDU.
Can I use this on an Xbox, PlayStation or without SimBridge?
No. The FlyByWire A32NX and SimBridge workflow requires the PC version of Microsoft Flight Simulator. The browser runs on the tablet, but the SimBridge server must still run alongside the simulator on the Windows PC.